Notes from the test kitchen
Long-form, practical writing on the subjects the tools deal in: measuring honestly, converting properly, dough maths without tears, and diagnosing the bakes that go sideways. Every article is written for this site, tested against the same reference tables the converters use.
Weighing vs cups: what the scale actually changes
A cup of flour can vary by 25% depending on how it is filled; a gram cannot.
5 min read · Updated 11 Oct 2026
Oven & KitchenOven temperatures explained: Fahrenheit, Celsius, Gas Mark and the fan
350 °F = 175–180 °C = Gas Mark 4: the centre of the baking world.
5 min read · Updated 8 Oct 2026
Recipes & PlanningHow to scale a recipe up or down without breaking it
Ingredients scale by one factor, applied to every line without exception.
5 min read · Updated 5 Oct 2026
Oven & KitchenCake pan sizes: capacities, swaps and how much batter each one holds
Pans are volumes: base area times depth decides what a batter experiences.
5 min read · Updated 2 Oct 2026
IngredientsYeast types compared: fresh, instant and active dry
Fresh : active dry : instant ≈ 3 : 1.2 : 1 by weight for the same lift.
6 min read · Updated 29 Sep 2026
Dough & Baking ScienceBaker's percentages explained simply, with one loaf worked end to end
Flour is always 100%; every other ingredient is a share of the flour weight.
5 min read · Updated 26 Sep 2026
Dough & Baking ScienceDough hydration: what the percentage means and how to steer it
Hydration = total water ÷ total flour, starter halves included.
5 min read · Updated 22 Sep 2026
Baking ScienceWhy ingredient temperature matters more than the recipe admits
Room temperature means 20–22 °C, and butter at that point is plastic, able to trap air.
6 min read · Updated 19 Sep 2026
TroubleshootingCommon baking failures, and what actually caused them
Every failure is a physical event with a short list of causes — read it, don’t mourn it.
5 min read · Updated 15 Sep 2026
IngredientsFlour types and protein: choosing the right bag for the bake
Protein percentage predicts a flour’s behaviour better than its name does.
6 min read · Updated 12 Sep 2026
IngredientsButter in baking: what it actually does, and how to measure it in any unit
A US stick is 113.4 g; a cup of butter is 227 g; a 250 g block is neither.
6 min read · Updated 9 Sep 2026
IngredientsSugar types: what granulated, caster, brown and icing each do differently
Crystal size controls creaming and dissolution — caster for cakes, granulated for sturdiness.
6 min read · Updated 6 Sep 2026
Measure & ConvertHow to measure flour correctly: the spoon, level and weigh methods compared
Scooping can add 25% extra flour; spoon-and-level is the chart standard at 125 g a cup.
6 min read · Updated 3 Sep 2026
Dough & Baking ScienceEgg sizes explained: what medium, large and extra-large really mean in a recipe
Size labels are weight bands, and UK larges outweigh US larges by about 20%.
5 min read · Updated 31 Aug 2026
Dough & Baking ScienceBaking soda vs baking powder: the chemistry, and when a swap works
Soda is a base needing acid; powder is soda with its acid built in.
6 min read · Updated 28 Aug 2026
Dough & Baking ScienceSourdough starter feeding ratios, explained without the mystique
Ratios read starter : flour : water by weight — and they are timers, not grades.
6 min read · Updated 25 Aug 2026
Recipes & PlanningHow to price home baking for sale: costs first, then the courage
Price in layers: ingredients by use, then time, then overheads and margin.
5 min read · Updated 22 Aug 2026
Kitchen CraftFreezing bakes and doughs: a make-ahead guide that keeps quality
Freeze structure, not foam: crumbs, doughs and batters forgive ice; custards and meringues do not.
5 min read · Updated 19 Aug 2026
Baking ScienceBaking at altitude: the adjustments that actually work
Thin air means more gas expansion, faster evaporation, cooler boiling — adjust for the fact, not the folklore.
6 min read · Updated 15 Aug 2026
IngredientsChocolate and cocoa: a baker’s working guide to bars, chips and powders
Percentage = share from the bean; mostly it is a sweetness-and-intensity dial.
6 min read · Updated 12 Aug 2026
IngredientsDairy substitutions in baking: milk, cream, yoghurt and buttermilk
Every dairy swap moves two dials: fat and acidity. Name both before swapping.
6 min read · Updated 9 Aug 2026
IngredientsGluten-free flour blends that actually work, and why single flours fail
Gluten did four jobs; blends replace it with a committee of flours, starches and a binder.
6 min read · Updated 6 Aug 2026
Oven & KitchenLining pans properly: parchment, grease, flour and foil compared
Release is a system chosen per bake: foams grip, sugars weld, crumbs forgive.
5 min read · Updated 3 Aug 2026
Kitchen CraftCooling and storing bakes: racks, wrapping and the fridge question
Cooling finishes the bake: rest in the tin briefly, then a rack, then patience.
6 min read · Updated 31 Jul 2026
Kitchen CraftChoosing a kitchen scale: accuracy, capacity and the features that matter
Accuracy and honesty beat fine resolution: test with a litre of water and a coin.
6 min read · Updated 28 Jul 2026
Oven & KitchenOven hot spots and calibration: mapping your oven’s real temperatures
No dial tells the truth by default — map your oven with toast and a thermometer.
6 min read · Updated 25 Jul 2026
Baking ScienceTesting doneness without gadgets: skewer, spring, colour and sound
Time is an estimate; tests are the verdict — aim to start testing, not to stop baking, at the timer.
6 min read · Updated 22 Jul 2026
Oven & KitchenCake portions: how much cake a party, wedding or bake sale actually needs
Portions are standards, not guesses: dessert, party and wedding cuts differ by design.
5 min read · Updated 19 Jul 2026
Measure & ConvertConverting a whole recipe between US and metric: a complete workflow
Convert in order: flour first (own density), then sugars, fats, liquids, small lines, temperature.
6 min read · Updated 16 Jul 2026
Recipes & PlanningPlanning a bake day: lists, timing, and never forgetting the eggs again
Build the list from recipes, combine quantities across bakes, then re-read the methods for hidden ingredients.
6 min read · Updated 13 Jul 2026